Author's Note: Some dialog in this part was taken from the episode Graduation.

Part 10

The shrill sound of an alarm suddenly pierced the air and Michael felt every nerve in his body respond to it. He jerked around, looking for the source of the noise and not finding it.

"Dinner's done!" the kids shouted out together before laughing.

He turned back around just as Brian got to his feet and hurried to silence the offending smoke detector.

"Damn, man, they take us in, feed us, an' give us a place to crash for the night an' you try to burn the place down?" Kyle asked, wincing at the sound.

"Ummm, you said a bad word," Maggie said, shaking her head at him.

Max laughed at that. "Looks like you're gonna be makin' a payment to the 'swear jar'," he said. "We had one of those back home, remember that, Iz?"

Isabel raised one imperious eyebrow at him. "I'm not the one who was a regular contributor to the 'swear jar' fund. You're the one who had the potty mouth."

Brian sat back down and shrugged when the others looked at him. "It's just somethin' that happens… usually goes off right before Mom puts dinner on the table."

Kyle squirmed when Maggie continued to stare at him. "I'll put money in the 'swear jar'," he said after several moments. "How much?" He turned when someone snorted behind him.

"We don't have a 'swear jar' 'round here," Edward said as he and Julia retook their seats. "You can roll your sleeves up and wash the dishes after supper."

He glared at Isabel when she had the audacity to laugh at him. He hated washing dishes more than just about any other household chore. Except maybe cleaning the toilet. No, he decided after a moment, he definitely hated that even more than doing the dishes.

"Julia and I were talkin' about your situation," Edward started only to be stopped when his wife placed a hand over his. "And she has somethin' to say."

"Regardless of the issue with your van it's likely to take a few days to repair," Julia said with a smile. "It is Christmastime after all and sometimes that will slow things down, and there's also a storm coming in." They were all tense, but none more so than Michael. "So Edward and I were talking about it and we'd like for you to stay with us." She watched Kyle as he got up to carry his plate over to the sink and she could tell his mind was already working over what she had said.

"In one of the cabins," Edward clarified. "We have a three bedroom cabin that sleeps eight." He tipped his head to one side as his gaze moved over them, waiting to see which one would speak first.

Kyle's right hand was in his pocket, his thumb rubbing against the warm metal of the old money clip that had belonged to his dad. "How much for three?"

"Three?" Edward asked, his ears practically standing upright at the possibility of renting not one, but three cabins in the off-season. "Well, lemme think a minute." He stood and started to pace around the room, his thumb rubbing over his mustache as he considered. He rested one shoulder against the refrigerator as he glanced from the group at his table to Kyle and back again. "Three of 'em, huh?"

Julia went to the counter under the guise of reaching for the coffee pot behind him and hissed, "Edward, you can't possibly charge them full price. It's Christmas and they're stranded!"

He mentally rolled his eyes. "I suppose I could knock some off the price if you're willin' to set the cabins up and clean 'em before you leave."

The thought of actually having room to breathe for a little while had Kyle nodding. He didn't even check with the others, already knowing that it would be an expenditure they would all agree on. It would take a chunk out of their cash reserve, but they were going crazy after so much togetherness and they all needed a respite.

He squeezed the money clip holding the money that had helped them to survive and he swallowed hard at the memory of how it had come to be in his possession…

"I, ah… I won't ask you where you're goin', so I can honestly say I don't know… but I can tell you there are a lot of people looking for you… An' right now they think you're headed south to Mexico," Jim said.

Confusion colored Kyle's features. "Why would they think that?"

"I guess they got an anonymous tip," he said with a smile. "I can get you to Arizona, then you're on your own…" He swallowed hard when his son nodded. "I mean, you're really on your own."

Kyle was silent for a moment. "Thanks, Dad."

"It's the least I could do," Jim choked out.

"I mean… thanks for…" he couldn't find the words he needed to express himself. "Just… thanks."

His dad took his hat off and took a step forward to pull his son into a tight hug. He couldn't remember ever seeing his dad cry but they were both choking back tears.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too." He had kissed his son, finally releasing him and letting him go.

It had been hours later when he had stuck his hands in his jacket pockets as he leaned back, trying to sleep. He frowned when he felt the thick fold of paper and he wrapped his hand around it, pulling it out and staring at it uncomprehendingly. It was money, he realized. He stared at the clip holding the neatly folded bills together and his eyes watered against his will as his finger traced over the emblem of a sheriff's badge engraved on one side. It had belonged to his grandfather and then his father… and now it was his.

There had been a short note scribbled on a piece of coffee-stained paper torn out of a pocket-sized notebook: Take care of yourself. Figure you'll be needing this for more than college now. You're a man any father would be proud of, Kyle.

Kyle forced his emotions back under control when he felt someone nudge him and he glanced at Isabel, nodding. His fingers rubbed over the clip once more. He was certain his dad had slipped it into his pocket at some point when he was hugging him so tightly, knowing that his son would've tried to refuse it if he'd given it to him outright.

He looked at Michael and he saw the sharp nod he gave in response to his decision. He had been entrusted with managing their finances and other than the pocket money that they each kept after working odd jobs here and there all of the money stayed with him.

Edward fixed his hamburger and took a bite, feeling the heat as soon as he started to chew. Good Lord, he hadn't needed to add horseradish sauce to this thing, he thought as he swallowed. He glanced at Maggie, thankful she hadn't gotten one of these volcanic burgers. She was chattering happily and enjoying being the center of attention. She had obviously adopted Michael because he was getting special treatment.

"You're welcome to use the phone if you need to call your friend," he said as he sprinkled vinegar over his French fries.

"Daddy, you don't need that," Maggie said, wrinkling her nose. "You're gonna make Michael's fries all yucky."

Julia bit back a smile and motioned for her daughter to finish her own meal. "Leave Daddy alone."

"We're not expected until right before Christmas," Liz spoke up when she realized Edward was waiting for an answer. She could feel the glare from the other end of the table and as soon as the man of the house turned to answer a question from one of his boys she made a face at Michael.

"So, tell us about Christmas in Tawas Lake," Isabel said before Liz and Michael could turn each other into little piles of smoldering ashes. Obvious much?

Maggie's eyes lit up with excitement as she turned to look at Isabel. "Christmas here is fun!" she enthused. "Mr. Tony, he always let Santa come to his house. He lives over across the street an' everyone goes there to see him. All the kids from my class go too. See," she shifted around to sit on her knees again, "Mr. Tony, he gots to go away for his job when it's Christmastime so Mrs. Tony and the boys, they help Santa with everything he needs while he's here. The pretty Christmas lights are everywhere," she said, stretching her arms out as far as they would reach. "On the trees an' their log house – "

"Yeah, an' we get to play hockey an' skate out on the lake," Brian interrupted.

Maggie's mouth was still hanging open since she had been cut off right in the middle of her speech. "That's not nice, Brian."

He shrugged and helped himself to another burger.

"Tell us more," Isabel encouraged, feeling nostalgic.

"Oh!" Maggie clapped her hands together. "Mrs. Tony, she makes hot chocolate an' hot cider, an' cookies too, an' after you talk to Santa an' tell him what you want, the elves give you two cookies an' one of the drinks. You get to pick which one you want." She inhaled deeply and released it as she shook her head sadly. "Santa can't come this year," she said quietly, "'cause Mr. Tony, he went to heaven an' Mrs. Tony went to Florida with the boys."

Julia's heart went out to her little girl when her mouth puckered and started to tremble. "Santa will come on Christmas Eve, sweetie. You sent him a letter and he knows where we live."

"What if he don't? He always comes here with his elves to Mr. Tony's house an' now there's no one there. What if he forgets? It's not the same with just a letter."

Kyle could practically see the light bulb flash on over Isabel's head when she suddenly sat up straighter. Oh, yeah, there it was, he thought. The crazed gleam that had just been waiting to get out had surfaced and there would be no containing it now. Little Maggie Stevens had just unknowingly unleashed the Christmas Nazi on unsuspecting Tawas Lake.

Max slowly shook his head when Isabel pushed her chair back. No, no, no, he muttered silently. The Christmas insanity had started early in their childhood and he still equated each new round of holiday cheer with that first year when she had taken it upon herself to make Christmas her personal project. She had made him dress up like a reindeer, complete with a pair of antlers and a jingle bell that she'd hung around his neck and then threatened to beat him with it if he took it off.

Michael glanced up when he heard Max and Kyle both groan at the same time and his burger went ignored for a moment when Isabel gave him an unsubtle nudge. He shifted to the side and went back to eating, not interested in what she had to say when there was food and plenty of it in front of him.

Isabel hunkered down between him and Maggie and she smiled at the little girl. "Ya know, I know it's getting close to Christmas and it's kinda late notice, but I do happen to know a couple of elves…"

Maggie's eyes widened and her gaze lifted to Michael as if seeking confirmation.

"She does," he mumbled. "Snowflake an' Candy Cane."

The child's wondrous gaze zeroed in on Isabel. She knew two of Santa's elves!

"I'll bet they might just be willing to talk to Santa and see if he'll come to Lake Tawas."

"Really?" She paused, thinking. "But, Mr. Tony's house ain't decorated an' no one's there anymore. Where would he go? He's 'posed to be there for everyone."

"These elves are very special elves. They're…" she thought a moment, "Santa's chief elves."

Maggie wrinkled her nose. "What's that mean?"

"It means Snowflake has a lot of pull with Santa. She can convince him to do just about anything and I'm pretty sure once she hears how much it would mean to you for Santa to make a special trip and come for a visit…" She smiled at Michael. "He'd be happy to do just that."

Michael rolled his eyes. Yeah, because he was ever doin' that again. He wasn't an idiot. He learned from his mistakes.

"What 'bout that other one? Candy Cane? Does she got lots of," she frowned, "pull with Santa?"

Michael snorted at that. Yeah, talk your way outta that one.

Isabel cleared her throat. "Well, not exactly." A slow smile pulled her lips up at the corners as she glanced at her brother. Oh, this was going to be a great Christmas! "But she does have lots of that pull with the elf who takes care of his reindeer. And as you know, the reindeer are very important to Santa."

Max nearly choked on a French fry that went down all wrong. The way she was looking at him made him nervous. Making him dress up as a reindeer all those years ago should've been a sign as to just how insane his sister was but his parents had assured him that it was a phase. They had obviously been mistaken.

"So, Santa might fly in with his two chief elves and his chief reindeer wrangler?" Kyle asked. He was trying hard not to laugh and he didn't even care about the death glares coming at him from both ends of the dinner table. He was just thankful that she hadn't decided that Santa had a chief sleigh mechanic and he had avoided some sort of elf costume. Yeah, he'd be drug around all of Tawas Lake and its surrounding areas to pull this insanity together, but at least he wouldn't be doing it in a pair of tights. He looked at Max and burst out laughing. Poor guy wasn't gonna get off that lucky.